View from Cardiff

[terryr]

About Fulham
Fulham Football Club is a professional association football club based in Fulham, London, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded in 1879, they are the oldest football club from London to play in the Football League.
The club has spent 26 seasons in English football's top division, the majority of these in two spells during the 1960s and 2000s. The latter spell was associated with former chairman Mohamed Al-Fayed, after the club had climbed up from the fourth tier in the 1990s. Fulham have reached two major finals: in 1975, as a Second Division team, they contested the FA Cup Final for the only time in their history, losing 2–0 to West Ham United, and in 2010 they reached the final of the UEFA Europa League, which they contested with Atlético Madrid in Hamburg, losing 2–1 after extra time.
Fulham's main rivalries are with fellow West London clubs Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers and Brentford.
Previous Meeting
We lost 1-0 at Fulham in April of this year. Ryan Babel scored the winner eleven minutes from time in the Premier League fixture.
Team News - Predicted Line-Ups
Cardiff City: Smithies, Peltier, Morrison, Flint, Bennett, Ralls, Bacuna, Tomlin, Whyte, Murphy, Glatzel

Fulham: Bettinelli, Sessegnon, Mawson, Team, Bryan, Cairney, Arter, Johansen, Knockaert, Cavaleiro, Mitrovic

Form - Last Three Games   

Cardiff City 0-3 Luton Town
Blackburn Rovers 0-0 Cardiff City
Cardiff City 2-1 Huddersfield Town

Fulham 0-1 Southampton
Fulham 1-2 Nottingham Forest
Fulham 4-0 Millwall

Match Odds

Cardiff City - 7/4
Fulham - 31/20
Draw - 11/5

Predictions

"I'm scared"

" Both teams lost at home tonight in the Carabao Cup."

" Slight difference in quality of opposition.
But anyway I can see some Neil Warnock magic happening Friday night and we get a 2-0 win"

" I wish I shared your optimism. We simply are not clinical enough with the few chances we create and we are getting punished for it. I think a draw will be a decent result with the way things are going at the moment. Another 3 nil drubbing with 20odd % possession and I think the fans concerns over the current team, tactics and Warnock will be fully justified. Hopefully I am wrong though!"

" I'm not looking forward to watching our midfield and in particular Lee Peltier, Aden Flint, and Sean Morrison playing against the movement and quality of players like Arter, Cairney, Cavaleiro, Knockaert, and Mitrovic. Gonna have to go for Cardiff City 2-3 Fulham."

" We'll get passed of the park and it could be a long night, but if we dig in I fancy us for a point"

" Wouldn't worry to much they had 77%, possession Saturday and still lost at home ... but take point could go tits up or they could be frustrated and we'll win by 2"

" Beat Foolham and we go above them as they ain't Real Madrid as some of our fan's think.
I'm backing the manager to get a big result here "

" Cardiff City midfielder Marlon Pack is ahead of schedule in his bid to return to full fitness, Wales Online have reported.
It was revealed by Bluebirds manager Neil Warnock last week, that Pack could be set to miss the next two months of the season after tearing his hamstring just 23 minutes into his second appearance for the club – a 3-0 defeat away at Reading.
Now however, it has been claimed that Pack could set to return to action within the next three to four weeks, after responding well to rehab during his recovery, something which will provide welcome news for Warnock, who had been exploring the possibility of a short-term replacement for Pack in the free-agent market following the midfielder's injury.
There is however less positive news with regards to defender Matthew Connolly, who has suffered a setback in his bid to return from an ankle injury, and may now have to undergo another procedure to address the issue."

" 2-0 win for us coming up 

Smithies

Peltier
Morrison
Flint
Bennett

Bacuna
Ralls

NML (assuming he is fit)
Tomlin
Murphy

Glatzel"

"FRIENDS OF FULHAM"
Their forum saying 'not that I'm worried about the result but our tactics and attitude seemed inept'.
That's from fans of a club that has spent far more than we have so come on lads, let's move on and get behind the team (whoever is selected) on Friday for a far more important game."


" I don't know why everyone is panicking
If you looked at our team last season.
Who were our best players?
Arter
Camarasa
Manga
Gunnarsson
Etheridge (injured)
Bamba (injured)
Paterson (injured)
If any other team (other than Man City) had their top 7 players removed, they wouldn't play anywhere near their capacity. Even our best signing (Pack) is injured too. As a result, why do we think we should go up without these guys?

"Nobody is "Panicking". Most of though, can already see the writing on the wall. **** squad = **** season. Can't be bothered about a cup tie = You don't go any further."

" Warnock has got some fans eating out of the palm of his hand.
He can say or do anything and they will blindly follow him.
Since promotion it's been all about him. He wanted one last bash at the Premier League. He wanted one last bash at promotion. He loves taking all the credit but you won't see him taking any of the blame.
We are heading back to where we were when he took over. Full circle, a team struggling in the championship with an overpaid unbalanced squad, but people are burying their heads in the sand because of his performance 2 seasons ago. We could get relegated and people will stay say he should be allowed to go on his terms, he's earned it, just because of an unexpected promotion a couple of years ago."

" We have one system
We have one way of playing
We are predictable "

" It may be coming up to a year ago but we played a very different system against Wolves at home and, more recently, against Man United away. This year we've played 5 league games and only kept the same 11 once. We may be largely predictable but we do have some variation, be that personal or formation."

" Give Warnock until the Hull game.
If we don't improve considerably then Cardiff should let him go so that a new manager can have until January to decide who he would like to bring in and then have time to work with the squad ready for more changes next summer.."

" In the summer we've signed players from Rotherham, Oxford and Newport. All of them look out of their depth.
We've also signed another Fred and replaced Reid with Vassell.
We've also let some of our better players leave.
The squad is crap, it's actually worse than the one that started the 17/18 season and it's had about 40m million spent on it!!!
This is all Warnocks doing and it's time to go. Warnockball has run its course."

"Last night showed how paper thin the squad is witH Etheridge, Bamba, NML and Pack out injured and Paterson not looking fit at all (or even looking like a footballer). I never liked Warnock until he came to us, still don't very much, but do admire what he did in his first season and then to get us up two years ago was incredible. Fulham had that amazing run and still couldn't catch us.
Last season was poor and we got relegated and this season hasn't started well. His transfer windows, the last 4 haven;'t gone too well with millions wasted on players who are not even regulars (I exclude Etheridge). I am also fed up of this plucky underdog routine he goes on about. That attitude cost us and he's at it again already saying we should to hang on to the coat tails of Leeds etc, he'll be lucky if we do.
Also when we got promoted, his speeches along the lines of 'when I got here look where the club was' 'I did this'. Well Neil you also took us down and have us playing **** football with a tactic last night of get it back to Flint and hoof it up the front. Time tot go. I don';t see why all the love ins with him, other managers have got us promoted, Mackay, Lawrence, Cork (I think), May, Burrows, Ashurst, Andrews etc but nobody recognises them as much. Dave Jones had us playing the best football I've seen at Cardiff since about 1970 and everybody moans about him because 1) we didn't get up 2) He was miserable."

" If Neil can get them up for Fulham he will dispel the feeling that I, and others, have that he has "lost the dressing room".
I sincerely hope that 'we' are wrong and that the team spirit and desire that got us promoted hasn't disappeared."

"Either Sir Neil will get his ducks in a row very quickly, perhaps in time for Fulham, in which case we'll rise up the league and the half wits will stop their jibbering, or he won't , in which case he'll leave and we'll go back into obscurity for the foreseeable future.
He and Vincent Tan will have to be strong men indeed to bear the dead weight of these negative whiners through a bad patch, or they might just decide to walk away from it and leave us on the road to Bolton."

" Wow. Talk about some serious overreactions. The season has just started. Won 2, Lost 2, Drew 1. It's not amazing form, but it's by no means a disastrous start. Yes we were humbled by Luton in the cup. But Warnock was always going to be half arsed about the cup. He'll do the same with the FA cup no doubt. Perhaps that's not a great attitude but promotion is all he really wants. If we secure promotion nobody will care how early we were knocked out the cups.
Time will tell on promotion but you can't judge properly 5 games in.
I think we might struggle against Fulham Friday. They look very good this year. If we lose no doubt we'll get more calls for warnocks head. The OP suggested giving Warnock until the Hull game but for me even that's too soon to really know."

" Despite everything
We can go 5th tomorrow if we beat Fulham at home, just 3 points behind the oh so great top two, and, it's still August I believe.."

Re: For all that has been said. If we beat Fulham we will go above them
What an excellent point.
This another one of these early season six pointers then !
I think Cardiff City will be promoted , but it won't be pretty or done in the way that some here erroneously think football works. It will be done by grinding out results with agricultural football not trying to play like Real Madrid.
More than half the teams in the league play prettier football than us, and Fulham are the archetypal PSG Tribute Act. Therefore if we can beat them, which we certainly can, that'll be a powerful psychological statement.
We must be strong in defence and exploit the fact that they are STILL weak in defence. Their football purism didn't work as well as our brutal commitment last year in the Premiership and I see no reason why that would be reversed in the Championship. In fact, I think it will only produce a few spectacular moments, a big financial black hole and maybe a play off place."

" I don't think we will be promoted but reckon we will one of those teams that get it together properly after Christmas, a bit like Fulham did last time. Think I prefer that, than looking over ones shoulder all the time and almost running out of steam, like we did last time, and Swansea and Leeds will this time....."

" I'm not convinced Cardiff will go up but top six is definitely a realistic target. The same applies with my boys. If Swansea keep hold of Borja and Ayew then they have a real chance of top two.
Once we get to ten games the table should be taking shape. It could be a very exciting season."

" we couldn't beat them last season when they were really shite :D"

" We beat them 4-2 at home last season."

" I cannot see us beating Fulham in a million years"

" You must try harder. Beat them last season at home and they have already lost away to Barnsley. We aren't looking as efficient as 2 years ago but they aren't real Madrid either.
Only room for two real Madrid tribute acts in this division and we are blessed to be in the same division as Leeds and Swansea."

" There are a lot of sides in the Championship which play a neat passing game but fail to achieve consistency because they haven't got the talent up front, or don't have the player/s to open sides up, or have defenders who cannot defend for 90 minutes. It looks good, but doesn't achieve much. That's where Warnock's style has merit. Even when we're 'poor' we often create more than our fair share of chances. Fulham have the best striker in this league - if they had the defensive discipline they would walk this league.."

" That's absolutely correct. The decisive factor will be whether Sir Neil can get the machine running quickly, because we can't afford to fall far behind in this league . I saw some very good signs against Blackburn because it's much more important to keep clean sheets than anything else.
I'm not sure regarding what you said about Fulham though because I doubt whether they can sustain the flash monkey stuff over 46 games and the moment they lose two games they'll sack the manager and the crowd will turn against them. To some extent that's true of Leeds too actually.
I do like the fact that people are writing us off against Fulham, and I'm sure Sir Neil will too. It's surprising how submissive some of our apparent supporters are in the face of a team which we did a lot better than last season and who rely on one of our reserve forwards on loan."

" we wont beat Fulham, on current form we would struggle to get the lions share of possession against Halfham"

" Where have you been ?
They have changed the rules Pete, you can no longer win the game by having more possession than your opponents.
You need to score more goals than them now."

" A 5-0 win will put us 4th, above Bristol C, on goals scored."

:005:

"A televised arse whoopin' is a-comin'"

" I expect it will be a game where we end up blaming the ref for something and ignoring that our defence has become a lot worse since last year whereas their attack has become a lot better.

I'm sure that Sir Neil has noted the strategic importance of this game and will be well prepared for it

" I'd sack the cu*t now. The fact that most of our fans don't give a **** either about results like tonight is pissing me off more and more.
I'm Cardiff born and bred, and have supported them for as long as I can remember, but the way I'm feeling now after witnessing that **** in front of a paltry crowd, I hope Fulham fu*k us over by a cricket score, and Tan boots his wrinkly arse right down to Cornwall."

" Luton Town 3-0 Cardiff"

" I didn't attend as I am 4000 miles away but having looked at the highlights (jeez, that's a stretch) and read various reports and comments from fans, I think the game highlights very starkly where we are at on the playing side of things.

Of course some will see this as an anti-warnock thread and how dare anyone question the saviour. But I do think that the game itself and the post match comments by Warnock outline some serious issues with the squad and also the approach the club has currently to the playing side of things.

I have no issues with being knocked out of the cup... it's not a priority and I think those fans who went knowing that are incredible and I have total respect for them... going knowing the club and fans are not making it a priority shows tremendous commitment.

Warnocks comments after the game saying that the youngsters were not up to speed while ignoring the utterly useless performances of some of the more senior players (in fact praising some of them when everyone else criticised their performances) says a lot about where we are at... I feel the senior players let the youngsters down last night... when the youngsters need the senior players to step up and lead, they put in a lacklustre performance in which the youngsters were always going to struggle to shine.

Youngsters are so neglected at the club with regards to any 'decent' pathway into the senior team I reluctantly admit that to be a youngster at city must be pretty demoralising. Also, if you are a father of a youngster at city imagine how you would feel that if by some miracle your kid makes it into the senior squad only to learn how not to keep the ball and play a brand of football that will do your lad no favours in his development. heartbreaking.

The senior players last night, whom Warnock had brought in, are pretty weak and makes our squad look pretty threadbear of quality. Why is Madine anywhere near the squad? 6 million and no goals and not even looking like he will ever score. Also, no back-up senior left or right backs available.. crazy stuff.

We got rid of Kadeem harris and essentially replaced him with Whyte - while he may have 'potential' (although he is 23) he looks so far off being a reliable squad player that it has dramatically weakened our squad with him in the squad and Kadeem out.

Warnock also made some comments about the possession that Luton had and that Fulham have ("the way they play") and how little we have - acknowledging that it is actually a tactic for us to not have the ball rather than lacking the players to keep possession (although the latter is a result of the former). While possession stats can be a vanity project for some team if you are getting beat with high possession stats, a footballing truth is that the more you have the ball the less likely you are to concede and more likely to create chances. The 2017/18 Cardiff, by hook or by crook style of football (and we acknowledge it wasn't pretty) looks so much more superior than the Cardiff 2019/20 side.

Anyway, this is just a wee rant as I can't see many positives for the rest of the season, not just from last nights game, but really 4 poor performances (even the 2 wins) in the league. I am sure we will get better but it seems that championship has improved but on the basis of the first 5 games and recruitment we certainly haven't."

" If we somehow beat Fulham, and we often do, no one will even remember last nights game in a few weeks."

" city 1-0 win. they'll have all the ball but we'll nick it"

" 3-0 Fulham and warnock to Annouce hughton coming in"

" Don't forget Fulham have a strong squad but they've been beaten by Barnsley and Forest, and not played any top teams yet, so they're not unbeatable.
Plus, putting tonight down to our usual poor showing in the cup, there were some signs of improvement in the previous couple of games.
Big performance needed from us now on Friday."

" You really are deluded. This team has no fight or heart conceded 11 in 6 games"

" 0 - 3...Sessignon would have scored all 3 but he's gone. Mitro 2 and maybe Reid 1. Just to take the piss."

" Surely Reid won't be allowed to play against us?"

" Oh yeah. I keep forgetting we'd be so bastard stupid as to loan him to them to help them out. Keep thinking it was a full transfer deal."

" Bobby Reid - Got 20 minutes off the bench against Millwall before coming on at half time against Forest. Made little contribution in either game with no shots and no real involvement."

" Cardiff 0 Fulham 26"

" Can't see us getting anything out of this. 0 -2 "

" 1-0 city. fulham have a lot of possession but we pinch it from a corner. fritzel first goal and the winner"

" Can't see us getting anything from this game unless there's a massive improvement from what I've seen so far this season.
3-1 to the happy clappers "

" I've only just noticed we've had the second highest number of shots per game with 16.4 to Leeds' 17. We need a striker brace from any of Glatzel/Bogle/Vassell to get this show on the road."


That's it for this week COYW's

[Chutney]

"That's from fans of a club that has spent far more than we have" - We quite literally haven't spent anything. Why do people constantly think this?

[HV71]

That's from fans of a club that has spent far more than we have" - We quite literally haven't spent anything. Why do people constantly think this?



You are so right Chutney - but this is the hangover from last season -" the £100m + spend ' on a team that got relegated. This stag will take some shaking off but I suppose all we can do is grin and bear it . The fact that of that huge spend only MLM is anywhere near the first team just adds salt to the wound on what was one of the most spectacular wastes of money we are ever likely to see . Thankfully we seem to have learned a lesson but the jibes will of course continue for some time to come.

Thanks again for this Terry - I always look forward to your view from the opposition terraces

[twang]

You are so right Chutney - but this is the hangover from last season -" the £100m + spend ' on a team that got relegated. This stag will take some shaking off but I suppose all we can do is grin and bear it . The fact that of that huge spend only MLM is anywhere near the first team just adds salt to the wound on what was one of the most spectacular wastes of money we are ever likely to see . Thankfully we seem to have learned a lesson but the jibes will of course continue for some time to come.

Thanks again for this Terry - I always look forward to your view from the opposition terraces

Mitro, Mawson and Bryan?

[HV71]

Point well made Twang but I excluded Mitro as he wasn't signed last summer but overlooked Mawson and Bryan as I should have specified that my thought process was on the overseas signings -my bad

[Statto]

You are so right Chutney - but this is the hangover from last season -" the £100m + spend ' on a team that got relegated. This stag will take some shaking off but I suppose all we can do is grin and bear it . The fact that of that huge spend only MLM is anywhere near the first team just adds salt to the wound on what was one of the most spectacular wastes of money we are ever likely to see . Thankfully we seem to have learned a lesson but the jibes will of course continue for some time to come.

Thanks again for this Terry - I always look forward to your view from the opposition terraces

Mitro, Mawson and Bryan?

Also reckon our loan fees for Reid, Cavaliero, Knockaert, Arter will be £10-15m

[twang]

You are so right Chutney - but this is the hangover from last season -" the £100m + spend ' on a team that got relegated. This stag will take some shaking off but I suppose all we can do is grin and bear it . The fact that of that huge spend only MLM is anywhere near the first team just adds salt to the wound on what was one of the most spectacular wastes of money we are ever likely to see . Thankfully we seem to have learned a lesson but the jibes will of course continue for some time to come.

Thanks again for this Terry - I always look forward to your view from the opposition terraces

Mitro, Mawson and Bryan?

Also reckon our loan fees for Reid, Cavaliero, Knockaert, Arter will be £10-15m

Not impossible at all. But it was reported at the time that at least the Knockaert deal is structured a bit special: It has a £10m purchase option but if we opt against it, we'll pay £4m for the season long loan.

[Chesh]

Ol' Colin couldn't help himself with this sly dig at Bobby........

Is Bobby Reid eligible to play?

"No, he wouldn't get in anyhow would he at the moment? He's on the bench most of the time."

[Bassey the warrior]

Ol' Colin couldn't help himself with this sly dig at Bobby........

Is Bobby Reid eligible to play?

"No, he wouldn't get in anyhow would he at the moment? He's on the bench most of the time."

Bitter much Colin?

[brightster]

Got a good record lately against Cardiff, only lost 1 in the last 9 !
Overall record is close though:
v Cardiff City

Games won:   27
Games drawn:   12
Games lost:   25

[Southcoastffc]

Ol' Colin couldn't help himself with this sly dig at Bobby........

Is Bobby Reid eligible to play?

"No, he wouldn't get in anyhow would he at the moment? He's on the bench most of the time."

Bitter much Colin?

Definite pick for them if he'd stayed though!

[Statto]

Ol' Colin couldn't help himself with this sly dig at Bobby........

Is Bobby Reid eligible to play?

"No, he wouldn't get in anyhow would he at the moment? He's on the bench most of the time."

Bitter much Colin?

Definite pick for them if he'd stayed though!

Exactly

[SP]

They seem to have a different view on tonight's game:

'Played off the park until Arter was an arse and got sent off.'

[ffc73]

Both Forest & Cardiff played off the park & we get 1 point

  :031:

[Southcoastffc]

"I thought first half we were poor and I was really disappointed with us at half-time."  says Parker. Not really playing them off the park.